Magnetic game apparatus



1965 c. w. ISAACS ETAL 3,223,419

MAGNETIC GAME APPARATUS Filed May 15, 1965 INVENTO RS CHARLES WI ISAACS HARRY WADE ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,223,419 MAGNETHJ GAME ARPARATUS Charles W. lsaacs, 14 Mary Drive, and Harry Wade, 12 Mary Brive, both of Fenton, Mo. Filed May 15, 1963, Ser. No. 280,551 3 Claims. (Cl. 273-431) This invention relates to a game and particularly to a game requiring skill and luck that can be played and enjoyed by people of all ages.

More particularly, the invention relates to a game having playing pieces and a gameboard. The gameboard has an upper plastic sheet upon which are drawn several small islands. The playing pieces are small ships made at least partly with permanent magnets. A plurality of slugs are positioned below the plastic sheet. Each slug is wired in a normally open electric circuit that includes a buzzer or other signaling device. The under surface of the plastic sheet has a metal foil or other electrically conductive surface that is also part of the circuit of each slug. When one of the ships carrying a permanent magnet moves directly over a place occupied by one of the slugs, the slug is attracted magnetically into contact with the electrically conductive metal foil to close the circuit and cause the buzzer to sound. The general objective of the game for each player is to move his ship from island to island successfully averting attracting the slugs.

An object of this invention is to provide a game having a board with an upper playing surface, a plurality of electrically conductive slugs spaced below the board, and one or more permanent magnet playing pieces movable across the board and capable of attracting each slug into contact with the lower surface of the board panel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game having a gameboard comprised of a thin upper panel and randomly spaced magnetically attractive slugs below the main panel, each slug being wired to a normally open electric circuit that includes the lower surface of the upper panel and a signaling device, and a plurality of permanent magnet playing pieces that when moved over the upper surface of the panel will attract individual ones of the slugs into contact with the lower surface of the panel to close the electric circuit.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a game of the character described that is of inexpensive and rugged construction.

Other objects and advantgaes will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of the game,

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of the gameboard with the upper panel lifted free to show its lower surface and to show the inner parts of the board;

FIGURE 3 is a view in section on an enlarged scale taken through a typical transverse part of the board; and

FIGURE 4 is an isometric view of a typical marker disk.

Referring now to the drawing, the game comprises a playing board 11 having a supporting frame 12. The frame 12 is preferably stamped molded of styrene plastic, but it may be otherwise constructed as will be recognized by those skilled in the art. The frame 12 comprises parallel sides 13 and 14 and parallel ends 15 and 16. The sides and ends define a rectangle. A ledge 17 exends inwardlys of each side 13 and 14, and a ledge 18 extends inwardly of each end 15 and 16. The ledges 17 and 18 are spaced below the upper edges of the sides and ends.

There are a plurality of ribs 19 extending between the sides 13 and 14. The ribs 19 are at the same level as the ledges 17 and 18.

3,223,419 Patented Dec. 14, 1955 An intermediate floor 20 is supported in sections below the ribs 19 and the ledges 17 and 18, as particularly shown in FIGURE 3. The floor sections 20 are positioned somewhere between the upper and lower edges of the sides and end panels 13-16.

As FIGURES 2 and 3 show, there are short vertical walls 21 extending from the top of the sides and ends 1316 to the .horizontal ledges 17 and 18. There are also short vertical walls 22 extending from the ledges 17 and 18 to the intermediate floor panel 26 and correspond ing short vertical walls 23 extending from either side of the ribs 19 to the intermediate floor panel 20. All parts of the frame 11 described to this point may be formed in a sin le operation to make a single molded or stamped plastic part.

A fiat bottom panel 25 is glued to the lower edges of the side and end members 13-46. The bottom panel 25 has a rectangular opening 26 through it. A pair of battery terminals 2'7 and 28 of conventional design are fastened by rivets 29 and 30 to the bottom panel 25 adjacent opposite ends of the rectangular opening 26. The rivets 29 and 30 may also pivotally support a pair of metal retainers 31 and 32. A rectangular door 33 fits within the opening 26. When the retainers 31 and 32 are pivoted to the positions illustrated in FIGURE 3, they also hold the panel 33 in place, but the retainers 31 and 32 can be rotated ninety degrees to release the panel 33 for removal. Removal of the panel 33 provides access to a battery or batteries 34 that are the source of energy for an electric circuit to be described.

The upper part of the garneboard 11 includes a thin panel 35 having an electrically conductive lower surface 36. The panel 35 may be of acetate plastic or similar construction. It is preferably about inch thick. The electrically conductive backing 36 may comprise aluminum foil glued to the underside of the panel 35. The composite panel 35, including the electrically conductive under surface 36, rests upon the ledges 17 and 18 and is glued in place.

A plurality of slugs 38 rest upon each intermediate floor panel section 20. The slugs 38 are iron to make them attractive to magnets as well as conductive of electricity. Each slug 38 is fastened to the end of a flexible wire 39. The other end of each flexible wire 39 is permanently secured to a rivet 40 of electrically conductive material extending through the intermediate floor panel 20. The rivets 40 are all connected by conductors 41 to the battery terminal clip 27.

The other battery terminal clip 28 is connected by a conductor 42 to a buzzer 43. A conductor 44 connects the other side of the buzzer 43 to a rivet 45 of electrically conductive material. The rivet 45 connects an electrically conductive bent metal strip 46 to a side wall 22 of the frame 11. The clip 46 is soldered to the electrically conductive foil 36 on the under surface of the panel 35.

Thus, there is a normally open electric circuit that includes the slugs 38, the battery 34, and the buzzer 43. Whenever one of the slugs 38 contacts the electrically conductive metal foil 36 on the under surface of the panel 35, the circuit is closed and the buzzer will sound.

The game 10 includes two playing pieces 50 and 51 formed to resemble ships. A permanent magnet 52 is glued to the bottom of each playing piece 50 and 51. The game also includes a plurality of small disks 53 of various colors to be presently described.

The upper surface of the plastic panel 35 has a plurality of islands 54 drawn on it and two home base bodies of land 55 and 56. The rest of the upper surface of the panel 35 is painted to resemble water.

The game is played by two players, each having a ship 51), eleven of the disks 53 of a certain color (e.g., one player having eleven red markers and one player having eleven blue markers), and five plain colored markers 53. The objective of each player is to move his ship 50 from the home land base 55 or 56 successively across the water to each island 54, and to occupy these islands, as indicated when the player puts one of his colored markers on the island. However, each time a player moves toward an island, he runs the risk of passing over an area immediately above the place occupied by one of the slugs 38. Should that happen, the permanent magnet 52 will attract a slug 38 up into contact with the electrically conductive surface 36, thereby closing the circnit to the buzzer 43. Sounding of the buzzer indicates the player has struck a mine.

Whenever a mine is struck the player must return his ship to the last base and relinquish a plain marker to a central pile of plain markers. It then becomes the other players turn to try to occupy one or more islands. If a player reaches an island without setting off the mine buzzer, he may continue to try to occupy another island. Each time he occupies an island he places one of his colored markers on the island occupied.

If either player hits five mines, and therefore runs out of plain markers, he must forfeit one of the islands he has claimed, and in return for this island he will receive five plain markers from the plain marker stack. When his island is forfeited he must remove his colored marker from that island and the island may be claimed bg either player.

After all islands are claimed, the player claiming the last island tries to return to his home beach 55 or 56. If he hits a mine before reaching his home beach, the player must forfeit one plain marker and return to the last island be occupied. Then the other player tries to reach his home beach. The first player to reach his home beach receives 25 points and the game is ended. Score is then tabulated by adding up points. The various islands 54 are marked with different point totals ranging from 25 points to 100 points, and each play marker that the player still has is worth 5 points. The highest total score wins the game.

At the end of each game, the board is shaked to disperse the slugs in random positions for the start of a new game.

Various changes and modifications may be made Within the purview of this invention as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are within the scope and teaching of this invention as defined by the claims appended thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A game comprising a gameboard and at least two permanent magnet playing pieces, the gameboard having a frame supporting an upper panel, means to provide an electrically conductive lower surface of the upper panel, a plurality of electrically conductive magnetically attractive slugs positioned below the panel, each slug be ing connected to a flexible Wire and normally occupying a position spaced from the lower surface of the panel, the wires being electrically conductive and being part of an electric circuit including the slugs and also including an indicator, a source of electrical energy, and the electrically conductive under surface of the panel; the permanent magnets on the playing pieces being of sufficient strength to attract a slug into contact with the electrically conductive under surface of the panel to close the said electric circuit when such playing piece is moved to a position directly overlying a slug.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the upper surface of the panel has a plurality of small islands painted on it.

3. The combination of claim 2 including a plurality of disk markers for indicating occupation of the islands.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,232,133 7/1917 Warden 273-1 2,295,452 9/ 1942 Deaton. 2,673,404 3/ 1954 Abrahamson. 2,808,263 l0/l957 Goldfinger 273-1 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Examiner. 

1. A GAME COMPRISING A GAMEBOARD AND A LEAST TWO PERMANENT MAGNET PLAYING PIECES, THE GAMEBOARD HAVING A FRAME SUPPORTING AN UPPER PANEL,MEANS TO PROVIDE AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE LOWER SURFACE OF THE UPPER PANEL, A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MAGNETICALLY ATTRACTIVE SLUGS POSITIONED BELOW THE PANEL, EACH SLUG BEING CONNECTED TO A FLEXIBLE WIRE AND NORMALLY OCCUPYING A POSITION SPACED FROM THE LOWER SURFACE OF THE PANEL, THE WIRES BEING ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE AND BEING PART OF AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT INCLUDING THE SLUGS AND ALSO INCLUDING AN INDICATOR, A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY, AND THE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE UNDER SURFACE OF THE PANEL; THE PERMANENT MAGNETS ON THE PLAYING PIECES BEING OF SUFFICIENT STRENGTH TO ATTRACT A SLUG INTO CONTACT WIHT THE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE UNDER SURFACE OF THE PANEL TO CLOSE THE SAID ELECTRIC CIRCUIT WHEN SUCH PLAYING PIECE IS MOVED TO A POSITION DIRECTLY OVERLYING A SLUG. 